Science Fiction Conventions

[The Eva Monkey]

So, I'm doing a bit of independent research into general attitudes towards fan conventions devoted to science fiction.

I am interested to know:

Have you ever attended a science fiction convention?

If so, generally speaking, what was it like?

If not, what have you heard about science fiction conventions?

Thanks.

[Sachi]

I've been to a small one in Sacremento a couple times, and l think it was for science fiction, fantasy and horror. Can't remember what it was called, but it was in a smaller convention hall (like a club hall), and the auditorium was an okay size dealer's room. Most of the names were old time cult actors/directors, and a lot of the rest were the younger generation making b movies and trying to promote them.

Can't say I've been to a convention solely dedicated to science fiction though, but I have been to quite a few solely horror movie conventions and those are a blast. Same deal, big names from cult films plus a lot of newer people promoting new stuff. Lots of merch, prop and special effects people, and film screenings.

I think one problem with new science fiction that isn't super cheap is that it's super high budget and they don't promote at smaller conventions; instead, they promote at ComicCon (or other near equivalents, like WonderCon). Another thing is that I believe horror has a larger niche audience than sci-fi these days, and more people are willing to support the cheap stuff by going to these conventions. Also, horror is cheaper in general and easier to make, so there's more content to see at these conventions too.

Still, if I heard word of a decent sci fi con dedicated to all things ranging from Star Trek to Doctor Who, War of the Worlds to Mars Attacks!, and Alien to Wall-E, etc, I would totally be excited to go dressed up as a Stormtrooper.

[Mr. Tines]

I've been to a number of WorldCons -- Brighton '79 and '87, Den Haag '90, Glasgow '95 and '05, and one Eastercon, in '96. Of course that was back in the days when the US WorldCons were still the major fan events held on Labor Day, and DragonCon was this tiny little thing some other summer weekend -- and mostly, back before the internet was a thing, too. It was also back in the day where cons could have weapons policies like "You kill it, you eat it.", and before all the current-day PC bullshit one reads about on the interwebs.

For me, they were weekend-long parties that offered a chance to catch up with old friends from university days (my social circle being the SF and Fantasy societies), and to meet up with other FRPers who I knew through APAzines, as well as to see and hear those authors whose books I enjoyed at various panels. There were usually a whole bunch of just interesting sounding panels, even if I'd never heard of the the people leading them. And of course there was the dealers' room to scour for old books, T-shirts, jewellery and other impedimenta, like ray-guns and beeblebears .

When leaving the con hotel for food, it was usually painfully obvious who were the uninvolved locals and who the con attendees (with their strange modes of dress, and, in the case of the visiting Americans, their typically 100+ pounds extra mass).